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Valerie Stimac

Travel & Space Tourism Writer

Valerie Stimac

Travel & Space Tourism Writer

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Author: vstimac

Hello world!

vstimacApril 17, 2019Leave a Comment on Hello world!

vstimac

🚨Tonight, tonight! 🚨 Head out and see the lu

🚨Tonight, tonight! 🚨 Head out and see the lunar eclipse!

Swipe to see a simple explanation of how lunar eclipses work and a map of where this lunar eclipse will be visible… if you’re in the path, head out tonight if the skies are clear!

#lunareclipse #lunareclipse2022 #bloodmoon #bloodmooneclipse #eclipseseason #eclipselunar #eclipse2022 #astronomyfacts #astronomyday

Where to Go Stargazing in Death Valley #sponsored

Where to Go Stargazing in Death Valley #sponsored

@DeathValleyNPS is one of the best places for stargazing in Southern California, and is a certified @idadarksky Dark Sky Park. If you want to plan a trip and wonder where to go stargazing, here are my favorite spots:
1️⃣ Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
2️⃣ Harmony Borax Works (where these photos were taken)
3️⃣ Ubehebe Crater
4️⃣ Badwater Basin

Thanks to @travellersautobarn for lending me a van to try #vanlife in Death Valley and get some truly epic night sky shots!

#deathvalleynationalpark #deathvalleylove #findyourpark #stargazer #stargaze #astrophotography #astrophotographer #astrophotos #nightskyphotography #nightskies

The face when you’re doing what you LOVE and it

The face when you’re doing what you LOVE and it pays off… even through a tiny telescope 🙈🔭

Y’all probably know I do a lot of different projects, but this feeling 👆🏻 is why I keep at it. Nothing amazes me like the night sky and nothing gives me more joy than helping others discover it too.

If you’re curious what I saw to inspire this face, swipe for the pic I shot through the eyepiece.

If you love space too, gimme a follow and let’s explore and enjoy it together!

#stargazing #moongazing #telescope #astronomy #astronomylover #astronomynerd #astrophotography #astrophoto #followyourdreams #followyourheart #followyourpassion #adastra #astrotourism #spacetourism

Thought I’d take whirl back through 2021 before

Thought I’d take whirl back through 2021 before moving forward into 2022…

Some of my favorite astrotourism experiences included:
1️⃣&4️⃣ watching the @virgingalactic launch in New Mexico!
2️⃣ seeing the stars over Honolulu one night when jet lag woke me up early
3️⃣ stargazing at @greatbasinnp - seriously underrated!
5️⃣ visiting the Very Large Array briefly
6️⃣& 7️⃣ seeing the aurora TWICE in Alaska in September - in Denali and @glacierbaynps
8️⃣ going for a night hike outside @vegas

This year was weird and wonderful in its own way… but aren’t they all?

#happynewyear #newyear #newyearseve #newyear2022 #2021 #2021recap #yearinreview #yearinpictures #movingrightalong #astrotourism #stargazing #auroraborealis #spacetourism

I know you’re not supposed to share horizontal p

I know you’re not supposed to share horizontal photos on here, but I just love this photo from @nasa Michoud, where they make rockets.

Say what you will about the cost, delays, scope of the SLS program, but it’s still an engineering feat and the stuff they use to make rockets is really cool. 🚀

I did NOT take this photo, but it was too impressi

I did NOT take this photo, but it was too impressive not to share…

📸: @thespaceperspective

This photo was taken on a test flight on June 18. The company, Space Perspective, made this test flight to mark the anniversary of announcing their company (which I covered for Forbes last year). As part of this year’s test flight, they equipped their spacecraft with cameras and snapped this photo of sunrise (swipe for a video).

They also announced they’re taking reservations for flights to space, which will give you this view. The price? $125k. Not bad, considering how expensive all the other options are. I might even start saving up! 😂

If you’re curious, you can hit the link in my story today to read the full post, or just admire the view.

Would you pay to go to space? How much?

One of my favorite night sky photos I’ve taken:

One of my favorite night sky photos I’ve taken: @whitishj at @undercanvasgrandcanyon during our honeymoon last year. 😍🤩

I just published a guide to visiting the Grand Canyon on my blog, and I always love a good excuse to go back through our old travel photos. It’s definitely bittersweet while we wait to be able to travel again... but I feel so grateful to have had so many travels in my life up to this point.

Anyone else need a gratitude reminder today? Publish what you’re grateful for in the comments and we can all feel the light. 🌟

Want to travel with me? I'm rescheduling my Jordan

Want to travel with me? I'm rescheduling my Jordan tour!

Last March, my first tour – a 10-day trip to Jordan for history, culture, and stargazing – was canceled (for obvious reasons). I'm now re-scheduling it, probably for March 2022.

Here are some of the tour highlights:
✨ A talk on Arabic Astronomy with local Jordanian astronomers
✨ Petra by night
✨ Staying in the Martian Domes in Wadi Rum
✨ Stargazing over the Dead Sea

Let me know in the comments if you want updates about the tour and I'll make sure to share with you when I finalize new dates and prices!

Photo by Sylvain L. via Flickr/Creative Commons

#jordan #petra #petrabynight #night #stargazing #astronomy #arabicastronomy #jordanian #stars #space #astrotourism #spacetourism

The stars over Monument Valley ✨🏜 Want to tak

The stars over Monument Valley ✨🏜 Want to take photos like this?

During our honeymoon, @whitishj and I spent one night in the Navajo Nation. Because he is a wonderful husband, he agreed to leave our cozy hotel and head out for a night of stargazing. I didn't get the best shots, because the moon was particularly bright – that's why the landscape is so bright, because there is basically no light pollution out here.

Here are my top quick astrophotography tips:
📷 Use manual camera settings, a tripod, and remote
📷 Pay attention to the moon phase – a full moon will blow out your photos
📷 Plan to do post-processing; most great night sky photos are edited to help them really ✨shine✨

Have questions about shooting astrophotography? Let me know in the comments and I'll answer with my best advice!

#monumentvalley #navajonation #nightsky #night #stars #space #stargazing #astronomy #astrotourism #spacetourism #nightskyphotography #astrophotography

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